Sons of Divorce

Studies examining the effects of divorce on children are rarely ever positive — and a recent study lead by Dr. Esme Fuller-Thomson of the University of Toronto is no exception. Writing in the journal Psychiatric Research, Dr. Fuller-Thomson found that male children whose parents divorced are three times more likely to consider suicide than males whose parents are together.

This grim finding caught a lot of people’s attention.  Writing in the Huffington Post, Mount Holyoke Prof. Molly Monet suggested that outcomes for these boys can be improved with regular and consistent contact with their fathers, whenever possible.  Monet also reminds mothers not to “bad mouth” the boy’s father.

Professor Monet stresses that not only should sons have a strong relationship with their fathers but also a positive relationship with any other male in their lives.  Lastly, she writes, boys must be encouraged to talk about their feelings during the divorce process.

Although the study doesn’t address it, I believe that outcomes for these “sons of divorce” are influenced by the process by which their parents chose to get divorced – the more acrimonious, the worse the outcomes.  These outcomes can be improved if divorcing couples choose more peaceful methods of dispute resolution such as collaborative law or divorce mediation rather than the more traditional adversarial methods.

To read more, please see the following articles: How we can help our sons of divorce; Sons of divorce fare worse than daughters.